Artificial limb.



H. EGLI.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 1916.

l ,20 1 ,8 1 2 v Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

HERMAN EGLI, OF WEST HOIBOKEIN', NEW JERSEY.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed February 24, 1916. Serial No. SOJISREIS T0 all/whom itmay concern.

Be itknown that I, HERMAN EGLI, a citizen of the United States, andresident of West Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented an Improved Artificial Limb, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Modern artificial limbs must combine lightness, strength and durabilityand, for those reasons, were heretofore made of wood, aluminum, rawhideand similar material. In some cases they were shaped out of sheets ofcomparatively thin material, in other cases, they Were built up oflayers of strips of such material, the strips of one layer angularlydisposed in relation to the strips of the adjoining layer.

The artificial limb, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, is formedof one continuous strip of sheet material and obtains its final shape,mating a natural limb, by cutting the strip similar in form to theletters and arranging it into a helix, having suitable means forsecuring it to the human body and for attaching the necessary joints.

The limb and its details of construction are shown in Figure 1, as aside elevation of a lower leg. Fig. 2, illustrates one form of the Sshaped strip of sheet material. Fig. 3, is a diagrammatic view of adevice for shaping the strip into a helix. Fig. 4, is a side elevationof the limb with a foot attached. Fig. 5, is a detail of construction ofadjoining turns of the helix, and Figs. 6 and "7, are details ofconstruction of the means for securing the foot to the limb.

A sheet of fibrous relatively thin material is cut into cyma-form or Sshaped elements 1, varying in dimensions and curvatures according'to thesize and form of the natural limb to be imitated. This element ortemplet is first softened and made pliable by, for instance, steaming orheating it and then shaped by rolling it through a device similar to theone shown in Fig. 3, although any other method or apparatus may beemployed for this purpose. The rollers 18,

19 and 20, engaging the templet, may be sultably he'ated, if desired, sothat the material first softened is hardened and stifi'- ened again,after having been shaped. The templet, when leaving the rollers, will atonce assume the form of a helix, as shown in F1g. 1, formed by abuttingturns 2, 3, 4 and 5, which are secured together by strips of adhesivematerial 6 and 7, or any other convenient means. The sides of theabutting turns may be flush, edge to edge, or may overlap, as shown. Thehelix is then coated with one or more layers of varnish, so as to makeit moisture-proof and stiff and further provided with a brace 8, havingbearings 9, for the kneejoint and a brace 10, preferably/integral withthe first, having bearings 11, for the foot joint.

The foot may be carried by having the ends of the lower brace 10, pass abearing plate 13, provided with slots 14 and 15. A bolt, located in thebearing groove 16, of the foot 12, secures the foot to the bearings 11.A retractile spring 17, or other well known means, is usually providedfor giving the foot the necessary resiliency.

Claims:

1. The method of producing artificial limbs which consists in, first,providing a continuous cyma-form element of fibrous sheet material,second, shaping the same into helicoidal form, and third, securingtogether the sides of abutting turns of said helix.

2. An artificial limb comprising a helix formed of a continuouscyma-form element of fibrous sheet material.

3. An artificial limb comprising a helix formed of a continuous elementof fibrous sheet material having the sides of abutting turns of saidhelix overlapping, and means for securing together said abutting turns.

New York, in the county and State of New York, this 9th day of December1915.

HERMAN EGLI.

In presence of- R. JULIAN Snomnzs, EUGENE F. AUBRY.

